The NRA Will Oppose ‘The Violence Against Women Act’

VAWA contains ‘red-flag’ laws which “seek to prevent people who have committed domestic abuse from obtaining firearms."

On the anniversary week of the March for Our Lives, the GOP’s wholescale opposition to gun control is beginning to waiver, indicating success in the public campaign for stricter gun laws. The NRA is fighting back, according to National Journal.

The group will vote against the Violence Against Women Act over its “red-flag privisions.” These provisions seek to keep those who committed domestic abuse from being able to access guns. NRA spokesperson Jennifer Baker said the NRA objects to the act because it thinks the legislation could lead to firearm confiscations over small misdemeanor domestic violence issues or stalking convictions.

“The NRA opposes domestic violence and all violent crime, and spends millions of dollars teaching countless Americans how not to be a victim and how to safely use firearms for self-defense,” Baker said. “It is a shame that some in the gun-control community treat the severity of domestic violence so trivially that they are willing to use it as a tool to advance a political agenda.”

On Tuesday Night, Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeted: “Members have a decision to make: will they protect survivors of stalking & domestic abuse? Or are they willing to allow their convicted stalkers & abusers to have access to firearms?"

Some Republicans from moderate districts will vote for VAWA. This includes Representative Steve Stivers (OH), the former chairman of the House Republicans. He said he could see himself voting for VAWA or an alternate version sponsored by Representative Elise Stefanik. The alternative version is a one-year extension of the current policy. Stivers added that he wanted to see due-process language in the act to ensure that innocent people aren’t denied access to guns.

“I’m not opposed to red-flag laws, depending on how it works,” he said. “We have to do some things. From my vantage point, red-flag laws are one of the most effective ways, if they’re done with important controls because you’re talking about a right.”

“After Sandy Hook and after Orlando, Republicans did nothing. Republicans are finally willing to stick their toe in the water of anti-gun-violence legislation because they know that their careers depend on it, and that’s very different than it used to be,” said Connecticut's Sen. Chris Murphy, who became a leader in gun-violence prevention since the Sandy Hook shooting.